Surprise My Bloody Valentine Album Crashes Website

Their first album since 1991 was announced at the very last minute, and caused such a rush that their official website came crashing down.

Posted on Feb 04, 2013 02:44 pm

21

My Bloody Valentine surprised fans with an unexpected album release at the weekend - but it proved so popular that their website came crashing down.
The new album titled "mbv" (stream the full album below) is their first release since 1991's "Loveless", and arrive on midnight on February 2. The site broke down within minutes.
It is available exclusively from mybloodyvalentine.org, which has recovered since the day 1 deluge. You can buy it in one of three formats: 180 gram vinyl, CD, or digital download.
The only notice they gave fans was a short Facebook message shortly before the release, which simply read: "We are preparing to go live with the new album/website this evening. We will make an announcement as soon as its up." Frontman Kevin Shields had also hinted last month that new material was coming soon.
"I think with this record, people who like us will immediately connect with something," Shields told NME recently.
"Based on the very, very few people who've heard stuff - some engineers, the band, and that's about it some people think it's stranger than 'Loveless'. I don't. I feel like it really frees us up, and in the bigger picture it's 100 per cent necessary."
"mbv" tracklist (lower case spelling intentional):
01. she found now
02. only tomorrow
03. who sees you
04. is this and yes
05. if i am
06. new you
07. in another way
08. nothing is
09. wonder 2

I knew some people would be thrilled just to have it out. Honestly, I'm disappointed. Not because I don't enjoy the music, this is my third listen and its great. I was just hoping the 20 plus year wait would yield something a bit more adventurous. This sounds like something they should have put out in 95 or 96 instead of now. I guess this is their 'return to roots' record and they just skipped all the varied albums most bands put out in between their success and then trying to recapture it.
The last bit was meant to be more of a joke so don't destroy me MBV fans. I love the record, just wish it were more of a flexed muscle instead of a memory.

The irony is that, according to Shields the band started recording sometime in the mid-90's and then stopped. So, chances are these songs were written (and possibly recorded) in '96. The song's were probably just finished being mixed and they're just releasing it now.
Shields is known for long periods in the studio recording/mixing albums after all.

Yeah, that's the vibe I got from hearing the songs. I really like 'In Another Way' a lot. So far that has been the stand-out track for me. The opening songs all seem to build tension and then release through the rest of the record. A friend of mine did point out that Loveless was a bit more straightforward in most of its songs structures then this album is. Its growing on me but I still would have liked something different, the wait the only real reason. You figure they would have out-grown the whole 'shoegaze' and 'noise-rock' genres to some extent. Great record despite the time it took to see the light of day.

This is exactly what I hoped for and honestly expected from the long awaited MBV album. If you get your hopes unreasonably high with situations like this, you're going to have a bad time. There's no need to expect the greatest album ever simply because of a long wait, because your own expectations are going to ruin it for you.
In 2013, I've heard amazing albums by Soundgarden, Voivod, and now My Bloody Valentine, and they're amazing because they're strong, logical followups. An album that would have been good in 1992 is just as good now, just check your expectations.

I think that it's great, but the song structures are way different from Loveless. While loveless had a few (relatively) straightforward tracks like Come in Alone, Sometimes, or When You Sleep, m b v is a bit looser in that sense.

Changed my mind; this actually is their most avant-garde album yet. Still, it's one of the very few, if not the only comeback album that I've ever heard where the band still sounds viable as artists rather than just rehashing for the fans. Can't wait for the American tour!

I really enjoyed this record, not really digging some middle tracks like If I Am and New You, but overall it's really solid.
I only first heard Loveless like two years ago so lucky for me I haven't had to wait for this for too long.

Well, this makes my day. Doesn't sound quite as bizarre as Loveless based on the song above, but as long as its good, who cares? By the way, does anyone know which song was formerly known as "Rough Song"?